


I Trust You

by Violett92



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gabriel Agreste’s A+ Parenting, Identity Reveal, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Partial Reveal (at first), he’s still a shit though, ladrien, lots of fluff, no but seriously he does a few nice things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 01:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21679372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violett92/pseuds/Violett92
Summary: When Ladybug passes out in Adrien’s arms and detransforms, he finally finds out the love of his life’s identity.After thinking things through, Adrien decides to keep his own identity to himself. After all, it’s what Ladybug’s always wanted, right?These two are in for nighttime visits, lots of kissing, and a few reveals along the way.•Essentially, this is a really big Ladrien/Adrienette friends-to-lovers fluff fic.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 18
Kudos: 185





	1. Envious

**Author's Note:**

> I struggled so hard to write that summary and I still hate it.
> 
> I’ll probably change it later.

“Dude, I can’t believe your dad is finally letting you stay over. I thought he hated me!”

Adrien smiled, hardly able to hold back against the urge to bounce in his seat. Besides staying with Chloé at the hotel, he had never been given the opportunity or permission to stay the night with a friend. At Nino’s suggestion, Adrien asked Nathalie if he could stay at Nino’s, fully expecting to receive a firm ‘no’, closing the subject for no further discussion. Instead, she offered to relay the request to his father, then further surprised him when she’d knocked on his bedroom door later that evening to tell him his father had accepted. Truthfully, Nathalie looked about as confused as had Adrien felt.

Now, here he was, sitting on Nino’s bed with their backs against the wall and a movie marathon on the TV.

“I know!” he exclaimed, his leg bouncing despite his will for it to stay still. As excited as he was, he also feared his father’s motives. He’d never been granted permission to leave his father’s sight for the night, much less given permission to even speak to his friend after deciding Nino was a bad influence. He hoped there was nothing more to it than a father’s wish for his son’s happiness, but Adrien wasn’t naïve. “It’s surreal. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and this all have been a long dream.”

“It sure feels that way,” Nino agreed. “I didn’t think your dad would ever realize you’re a teenage boy with a need for a social life.” Adrien laughed at the joke, but his smile didn’t meet his eyes. He wasn’t upset at Nino’s words, more over the knowledge that he was right. “Oh, I just got a text from Alya. She said she’s at Marinette’s house, and her parents invited us to come stay, too, if we want to.”

Adrien hesitated at that. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” 

Nino waved him off. “Don’t worry, dude. My parents won’t say anything, and we‘ll be back before your driver comes to get you. Nobody will know.”

Excitement bubbled in Adrien’s chest at the thought. Staying at the Dupain-Cheng’s with his three closest friends, eating bakery sweets, and watching movies all night? That sounded like a dream-come-true to Adrien, and if Nino couldn’t get them back on time, he could always just tell Nathalie that Marinette invited them over the next day to help with some of her designs. Who better to ask than a model and son of a famous fashion designer? He might be in a little trouble for not being where he said he was, but it was better than his father finding out he stayed the night with a girl.

As the plan formed and strengthened in his mind, so did Adrien’s resolve. “Let’s do it!”

Nino grinned and turned his attention back to his phone, his thumbs tapping a mile a minute as he shot Alya a response. After a minute of texting back and forth, he nodded. “There’s a train that runs that way in fifteen minutes.“

✦

“Dude,  _ come on! _ How are you so good at this?”

Marinette didn’t answer, only mashed her fingers against the buttons in quick succession, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth with concentration.

“This is why I don’t play video games with her,” Alya explained matter-of-factly, leaning back against the couch with her arms folded across her chest. “I warned you, Nino.”

Marinette raided her controller above her head in victory, a wide grin splitting across her face. Nino groaned and handed his off to Adrien with pleaded eyes. “You have to beat her, man. Do it for The Cause.”

Alya raised an eyebrow. “The Cause?”

Adrien sent her a somber look, confirming, “The Cause. You’d know if you played against her.”

Something flashed in Nino’s eyes that caused Alya to groan. “Why don’t  you play, Alya? Isn’t it your turn to go up against Marinette?”

“He’s right,” Adrien agreed. “The rest of us have suffered the humiliation of losing to Marinette, even Kim, Alix, Rose, Max, and Juleka.”

Marientte flushed and ducked her head out of Adrien’s sight. He hoped he didn’t embarrass her, but his worries were squashed when she smiled and said, “Rose actually almost beat me. I didn’t know she had it in her.”

Alya laughed. “I did. That girl can be a ball of fire when she wants to be. I feel bad for Juleka if she ever sets her off.”

At hearing Alya’s voice, Nino seemed to recall what started this conversation in the first place. He leaned forward, a teasing smile on his face, and Alya’s frown deepened. “So, what do you say? Are you ready to lose to Marinette?”

“No.”

“ _Why not?_ ” 

Adrien and Marinette both snickered at Nino’s indignant whine, but Alya wasn’t amused. “I told you why,” she said. “I would be wasting my time against Marinette’s skills. I’m a journalist; I know when a story’s going nowhere, just like I  _ know _ when I’m not going to beat my friend at  _ Ultimate Mecha Strike III._”

Nino folded his arms with a quirk of his lip and said, “So you’re a quitter.”

“Oh, no.” Marinette lowered her head in her hands. Adrien shared the sentiment.

A fire lit in Alya. Adrien expected her to argue with Nino, maybe take the controller from his hand to prove him wrong, but he did not expect her to tackle him unceremoniously to the floor and beat him with his own hat. “How dare you!” she cried, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice that eased Adrien’s nerves.  _ She’s just messing around, not about to murder her not-boyfriend_ _._ “I am not a quitter!”

“Okay, okay!” Nino shielded his face with his arms. “I’m sorry, Al! I’m sorry!”

Marinette giggled and set the controller on the armrest. She stood and stretched her arms high above her head, revealing a thin sliver of skin above her pajama pants. “Why don’t we shut off the games for a while and watch some movies? I can grab some more snacks from the kitchen. ”

Nino agreed around Alya’s beating, and Adrien nodded excitedly. Taking that as response enough, Marinette shut off the game and headed toward the kitchen for snacks.

They spend the rest of the evening watching movies and talking over the ones they’d already seen before. Adrien and Marinette had seen most of them, but Nino spent more time generally focusing on music than TV, and had only seen one of them. Sometimes he’d joke around with his three friends, and other times he’d shush them so he could watch a certain scene. 

Their third movie happened to be one everyone had seen, so Alya turned to the three of them with a grin. “Lets play a question game.”

Marinette stiffened. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

Alya shook her head. “Relax, Marinette. I already know secrets about two of you, and if I wanted them out, I’d tell them. I’m only suggesting a casual game to pass the time. What do you say?”

Adrien wondered what information Alya had on Nino and Marinette, but his concern was more on himself. A question game could likely compromise his secret identity, and then Ladybug would certainly skin him like the cat he is. On the other hand, a question game would be a good opportunity for him to get to know Marinette better. They’d been friends for years, yet she still couldn’t string more than two sentences together when talking directly to him. This could be the perfect chance to help her feel less intimated by him and more comfortable.

Sucking in a deep breath past his nerves, Adrien said, “I’m in.”

Any and all doubt on Marinette’s face washed away and she nodded quickly. She ignored Alya’s knowing look with tinted cheeks. “M-Me, too.”

Nino shrugged. “Why not?”

Alya clapped her hands together. “Okay! Here’s the rules: you can ask any question, but you also have to answer it. You get three passes, but if you choose to pass, you have to admit an embarrassing secret.”

“Alya,” Marinette scolded.

The aforementioned blogger groaned. “Fine. You get three passes, and you don’t  _have_ to admit an embarrassing secret, but it’s encouraged.”

Marinette giggled. “Good enough.”

“I’ll go first,” Nino volunteered. Adrien’s stomach dropped when his friend turned directly toward him. “Adrien—“

“Nope,” Alya interrupted. “The question has to be directed to all three of us, not one person. Like this: what’s your favorite color?”

“Pink,” came Marinette’s immediate answer, although that didn’t come as a surprise.

He thought of Ladybug’s eyes, and the universe must’ve pulled the stars from the sky and gave them to her. Her eyes were his favorite color, without a doubt. “Blue,” he admitted.

“Purple,” Alya said.

Nino frowned. “Seriously? I thought it was orange.” 

Alya shrugged. “I like both, but purple is nicer to stare at.” 

That was a strange way of putting it, but Adrien understood. He could stare into Ladybug’s eyes for days and never tire of it. 

“What about you, Nino?” Marinette asked, leaning past Adrien to get a better look at their friend. “What’s your favorite color?” 

His answer was quick. “I don’t have one.” 

“Who doesn’t have a favorite color?” Alya questioned with a scrunched up nose. “Everyone has a favorite color.

“Not me. Every time I try to pick one, I second guess myself. I like a lot of colors.” He shifted in his seat, and Alya took the opportunity to raise her legs and drop them on his thighs. His hand came to rest on her knee absentmindedly, and Adrien raised his eyebrows. 

For all Nino’s denial that the two weren’t dating, they looked pretty cozy. Although, Adrien didn’t have much room to talk. Any time Chat Noir and Ladybug had time to sit and relax, they draped themselves over each other in any way they could. Adrien wished there was more between them, but he knew their excessive comfort with each other was only a result of their profession. When you spend every day fighting alongside somebody, seeing them take hit after hit, you gain a sort of closeness you couldn’t have with anybody else. Even if Adrien didn’t have romantic feelings for Ladybug, he was certain they would still lean on the other at every chance they could find. 

“Is it my turn, yet?” Nino asked. 

Alya tolled her eyes. “Yes, Nino, you can ask the question.” When it took him a minute to think, Alya groaned. “You don’t even know what to ask, do you?” 

Nino’s cheeks turned pink. “I was thinking!” 

“Then you can go when you’re done thinking. Marinette, it’s your turn.” 

Marinette folded her legs beneath her and played with the seam of her pajama pants. “What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?” 

“Woah, Marinette,” Alya teased. “Bringing out the big guns.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Not for me. Every day is a total embarrassment.

_Ouch_. Adrien knew she tripped over her words a lot, and sometimes  literally tripped, but she always seemed to take it in stride. At least he could make her feel a little better about her mishaps. He cleared his throat. “I, uh, forgot pants.

Nino frowned. “I thought I saw some in your bag?” 

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, toying with the loose strands of hair, and let out a short laugh. “Oh, I brought some today. I was talking about my first day of public school. I completely forgot my jeans. If it wasn’t for Nathalie screeching right before I reached the door, I would’ve charged out of the mansion without a clue.” 

There was a short bout of silence before Marinette chortled. “I-I’m sorry, I just—“ A few more snickers slipped past her lips, and she flew a hand up to cover them. “That sounds exactly like something my friend would do.” 

Alya squinted calculatingly. “Is this that secret friend of yours that you won’t tell me anything about?” 

Marinette stopped laughing. “Um, well—yes.” She cleared her throat, then grabbed a macaroon off the table to keep herself busy. Adrien followed suit and grabbed a cheese croissant, and waited until nobody was looking to hand a small piece down to Plagg from inside his shirt. “Anyway, you and Nino haven’t told us your embarrassing story, yet.” 

Alya looked thoughtful for a moment. “I tripped while live-streaming on the ladyblog and dropped my phone down the storm grate about a year ago. My fans thought it was hilarious. My mom did not.” She snatched Nino’s hat off his head and out it on her own. He tried to take it back, but she leaned out of reach. “Your turn, Nino. What’s your most embarrassing story?” 

Adrien watched with mild concern as Nino’s face paled, then turned redder than Marinette ever has. He put his face in his hands with a long groan. “My first kiss.” 

Alya nearly choked. “Wait, you’ve kissed someone before?” 

He frowned. “Yeah. Haven’t you?” 

She everted her eyes, but nobody missed the red dusting her cheeks. “Yeah. Once.” 

Nino’s eyes widened. “Once?” 

“Once,” Alya confirmed. 

Adrien felt like he was interrupting a moment between them when Alya stared deeply into Nino’s eyes. He grabbed another party from the table and averted his gaze.  _Not dating, huh?_

Marinette cleared her throat. “Okay, next question. Who’s turn it is?” 

“Mine!” Nino nearly leaped off the couch, the moment between him and Alya gone in a flash. “It’s my turn now.” 

Marinette giggled. “Go ahead, Nino.” 

Nino gave a sharp nod, then asked, “What was your first kiss like?” 

Alya huffed and smacked him with her hat. “You just had to ask that, didn’t you?” 

Nino smiled cheekily. “Go on, Alya, tell us about your first kiss.” She mumbled something unintelligible, and Nino leaned toward her. “What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” 

“You were my first kiss,” she grumbled. “At the zoo, when Ladybug locked us in the panther exhibit.” 

Nino leaned back with a satisfied smile. Alya punched his shoulder. 

It’s safe to say everyone in the room was shocked when Marinette quietly said, “Mine was a close friend.” 

Adrien choked. 

“Adrien!” Marinette cried, launching herself toward him to pat her hand on his back. When his coughing died down, she asked, “Are you okay? What happened?” 

“Dude, are you good?” Nino asked. Alya looked equally as concerned. 

“I’m fine,” he croaked. “I just didn’t expect that.” 

Marinette’s blush came back, and she sunk toward the end of the couch. 

Alya nodded. “Neither did I. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you had your first kiss!” 

Marinette shrunk further into herself. Adrien couldn’t tell if the memory was upsetting, or she just didn’t like talking about it, but he knew something was bothering her. She tried to laugh it off, but he caught the bitter undertone. “He doesn’t even remember it, but he’d love it if he did.” 

His head tipped to the side. That didn’t sound like an upsetting memory, more like one she wish she shared. “He doesn’t remember it?” 

“It’s that mystery boy, isn’t it?” 

Marinette’s head shot up to meet the determination in Alya’s eyes. She sighed. “Yes, but there’s nothing to tell, Alya. It happened during an akuma attack and was the only way to help him, and his memory was erased whenever Ladybug used her cure.” 

Alya crossed her arms and raised her brows. “If there’s nothing to tell, then why do you sound disappointed?” 

Marinette squeaked, Adrien narrowly avoided her flailing arms. “I’m not disappointed! He’s just a friend!” 

If possible, Alya’s brows raised even higher. “That sounds awfully familiar.” 

Adrien wasn’t sure what Alya was referring to, but he definitely agreed with her tone. Whoever this was, Marinette clearly didn’t think he was ‘just a friend’. 

“I-It’s not!” 

“Come on, girl, give us a name!” 

“No!” 

“Marinette, you know I’m going to do everything in my power to find out, right?” 

Marinette folded her arms defiantly, face shifting to one of steely determination. It was a look Adrien rarely saw from her. Whoever this mystery guy was, she was adamant that nobody find out about him. Was he some type of criminal? Adrien couldn’t picture sweet, kind Marinette associated with a criminal, but he wasn’t sure what reason would be strong enough for how determined she was to keep this secret. “Then you’ll be searching for a long time.” 

Alya must’ve seen the same fire as Adrien because she sighed in defeat. “Fine, I’ll drop it. For now.” 

Nino let out a low whistle. “Females.” He shook his head. “Anyway, it’s your turn, dude.” 

Heat flooded through Adrien’s face. He wished he could remember his first kiss, when Ladybug saved him from Dark Cupid’s influence, but his mind remained blank. He couldn’t very well explain how it happened, or that it was Ladybug, so he settled for, “I haven’t had mine.” 

It was a lie, but it also wasn’t, in a way. Did it really count as your first kiss if you didn’t remember it? If Nadia Chamack hadn’t brought it up in the interview with Chat Noir and Ladybug, Adrien wouldn’t even know it had happened in the first place. He understood her reasoning for keeping it secret, but still found himself upset with Ladybug for keep it. It was his body, his lips. He was allowed to know when something happened to him, whether he remembered it or not. 

Alya took her turn at the game, then Adrien, Marinette, and so on. They played until the movie ended, then put in a movie only Marinette had seen and insisted was amazing. 

By the time they finished their fifth movie, it was two in the morning. Alya was passed out on top of Nino, Marinette was drifting in and out of sleep, and Adrien was wide awake. Plagg snored softly in his pocket, quiet enough that nobody but his chosen could hear him. 

He shifted uncomfortably, restless. He wanted to transform, leap from Marinette’s balcony, and take to the rooftops. Running around the city as Chat Noir always helped him when he couldn’t sleep, but he knew it was too risky. If any of his friends woke up and noticed he was gone, they’d panic, and Chat had no way of checking Adrien’s phone to see any missed calls or texts. 

Marinette scrubbed at her eyes with a loud yawn, pulling Adrien from his thoughts. “You don’t have to stay awake for my sake, you know,” he told her. 

She smiled sleepily and peaked up at him with one eye closed. “How did you know?” 

He returned the smile. “Every time you wake yourself up, you look at me.” 

Both eyes shot wide. “Oh. I’m sorry.” 

He shrugged. “Don’t sorry about it. It’s late, and you should get some sleep. I’ll be fine.” 

She seemed reluctant, but finally nodded. “Come on. I’ll show you where you can sleep when you‘re ready.” 

“I’ll shut everything off and meet you upstairs.” 

When he made it to Marinette’s bedroom, he found her sitting beside a blanket folded up on the chaise, loose hair cascading over her shoulders. It was only the second time Adrien had seen her with her hair down, and it took his breath away just as quickly as the first. The moonlight filtering through her skylight highlighted her features as she stood, her cheeks stained pink. “I-I got you a blanket. And some pillows. I mean, you don’t have to sleep in my room if you don’t want to! I just—I thought it would be a little more comfortable than trying to squeeze on the couch with Alya and Nino.” 

“Thanks, Marinette.” 

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gestured toward her loft. “I’m going to bed. If you need anything, feel free to help yourself or wake me up.” 

As she climbed the stairs to her bed, Adrien spread open the blanket and crawled onto the chaise. It felt surprisingly comfortable, and not just in a physical sense. Everything about the Dupain-Cheng’s home was warm and welcoming, and felt more like a home to Adrien than the one he grew up in. He envied Marinette. She had it all: two, loving parents, a good environment to call home, two amazing friends, and so much potential to be a fashion designer. She had her whole life planned out, while Adrien couldn’t even decide whether or not he wanted to remain in model when he turns eighteen. 

He sighed, closed his eyes, and told himself to sleep. Unfortunately, that didn’t work, and he spent what felt like hours tossing and turning with his wild thoughts. 

He flopped onto his back unceremoniously. He shouldn’t do it. He knew he should just let her sleep, but he still found himself whispering, “Marinette? Are you still awake?” 

There was shifting toward her bed and he tilted his head to see her propping her own on her elbows. Despite her hair being a tangled mess, she didn’t look like she’d slept at all. He wondered if she felt just as restless as he did. “Can’t sleep?” she asked. 

He shook his head and sat up. “Not really.” 

Marinette nodded thoughtfully before retreating out of sight. There was more shuffling before she reappeared at the top of the stairs with her comforter balled up in her arms. She didn’t stop until she stood in front of him, so he scooted over and patted the seat next to him. She dropped down and pulled the comforter around their shoulders with his help. After a moment, she finally asked, “Are you okay?” 

His eyebrows furrowed. She noticed his mood? 

His expression must’ve been enough of a question because she flushed red and explained, “I h-heard you moving around, and sometimes I get restless when there’s something on my mind that bothers me—not that anything’s bothering you! I mean to say, if something  _is_ bothering you, I’m a listener good. I mean, good listener!” 

She groaned and buried her face in her hands. He knew he probably shouldn’t, but Adrien couldn’t help it when the laugh bubbled out of his throat. She peaked up at him through her fingers, then sent him a small smile. 

When his laughter died down and he remembered her question, he rubbed a hand against the back of his neck. “It’s not that anything is necessarily bothering me. I’m more. . . envious,” he admitted with a long sigh. 

She lifted her face completely from her hands and frowned. “Envious? Of what?” 

He let his hand drop to his lap, twisting his ring for something to look at besides Marinette. He’d be surprised if she heard him at all when he whispered, “Your family.” 

“Oh, Adrien,” she sighed. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but know I am here if you need it. After all, we’re f-friends, right? What are friends for?” 

He thought about her offer. He couldn’t think of anything he’d want to talk about besides his pining over Ladybug and his home life, and the former was a secret. He shook his head. “There’s not much to talk about. My father’s cold and my mother‘s gone. It sucks, but I’m used to it.” She placed a delicate hand on his knee, giving him some of the support he so desperately needed, so he continued. “It just bothers me when I see other families being close and remember that I’ll never have that.” 

Marinette squeezed his knee and ducked her head to catch his eyes. He stopped twisting his ring. “Maybe you can’t have that with your father, but you can have that here. My parents would happily welcome you into this family.” Her face flared a bright crimson, but it was gone before he could question it. Still, he wondered what went through her mind in that moment.She cleared her throat. “You can come here any time. If you need an escape, want a friend to talk to, or just want some parental hugs, you’re welcome to seek them out here in the bakery.” 

Without warning, Adrien wrapped his arms around Marinette’s shoulders. She let out a highpitched squeak and he froze. Oh god, he didn’t make her uncomfortable, did he? She was already so tense around him! What if he pushed her boundaries? He moved to let go of her, but her own arms wrap around his waist, and he sunk into the embrace with a pleased sigh. A wave of warmth rushed through him when she nuzzled her face into the crook of his shoulder, and if she sniffed him, he choose to ignore it. 

When Adrien reluctantly pulled back, it was with a smile. “I know I don’t have all that much experience with friendships, but I’m here for you, too, Marinette.” He let his grin turned a little more like his alter-ego’s. “Now that you’ve heard all of my problems, let’s hear yours.” 

She pointed a shaky finger at herself with wide eyes. “M-Mine?” 

His smile faltered. Was that not okay? Are they not close enough for her to tell him about her concerns? He thought they were, but he could never tell with Marinette. One second, she’d laugh and joke around with him, and the next she’d make unintelligible noises and run away. 

They were doing so well today. He hoped he hadn’t messed it up by doing whatever it was that made her so uncomfortable around him. Maybe Adrien was still still more comfortable in their friendship than Marinette. He vowed to change that, if she’d let him.

“Only if you want to talk about them,” he clarified, hoping to ease her discomfort. “I didn’t mean to pressure you—“ 

Her hands flew wildly between them, and he narrowly avoided catching one with his face. “No!” she cried, then dropped her hands with a wince. “It’s not that, I just don’t want to bore you with my problems. You already have so much to deal with at home. They’re nothing I can’t handle.” 

He nudged her teasingly with his shoulder. “Oh, I definitely believe that. Still, maybe an objective opinion could help?” 

She smiled, glancing up at him through her lashes, and his breath caught in his throat. The look on her face was so achingly familiar in the lighting from the moon, and it took him a minute to focus on breathing and not the way her stare nearly stopped his heart. 

“I’m mostly just overwhelmed lately,” she admitted. “Between helping out in the bakery, finishing commissions, being class president, helping promote Kitty Section, schoolwork, and being—“ She cut herself off with wide, panicked eyes, then cleared her throat. “I-I haven’t been getting much time to relax. Or sleep.” 

Adrien was stunned. So much for envying Marinette. He thought his schedule was busy, but she did double the amount of work in half the time. How was she still stable? How did she think his problems were worse than hers? He would’ve broken down and given up already. Was there really nobody to help her with any of this? 

Adrien resolved to help her. Maybe, when she feels more comfortable around him, they could find a way to help each other. For now, he would offer up what he could. “What if you took some time off from the bakery? Would your parents let you do that?” 

Marinette tipped her chin up to watch watched the moonlight filtering in from her skylight and sighed. Now that he paid attention, he could see the tense set of her shoulders and the worry in her eyes. “I could take the time off if I really wanted to, but the hours help pay for fabrics. Not to mention, running a popular bakery is a lot of work for just the two of them. They need my help, and I don’t want to let them down.” 

Of course! Marinette needed time off from the bakery, and her parents needed all the help they could get. If Adrien could convince his father to let him work for them, it could help both himself and Marinette’s family. He grinned, nearly bounding with excitement at the prospect of being so close to one of his friends. “What if I could help out in the bakery?” 

Her eyes widened. “What? Adrien, that’s sweet, but you don’t have to—“ 

“I want to!” He took her hands in his. “I make enough money from modeling, so I could help out for free. Besides, if I tell Nathalie I got a job, she might even lighten my schedule. I’d get to see you, and Alya and Nino when they come over, and also learn how to bake!” 

Marinette giggled at his excitement. “You really want to do this, don’t you?” This time he did bounce in place. She watched him with a small, fond smile. “You know, you remind me of a friend of mine.” 

His head tipped curiously. “Who?” 

As if realizing what she just said, Marinette paled and snatched her hands away from his. “Y-You wouldn’t know him! He, ah, goes to a different school!” 

He must’ve been the mystery guy who didn’t remember their kiss. “Well, he must be pretty cool if he reminds you of me,” he teased. 

Marinette laughed and gently shoved his shoulder. “More like you’re both complete dorks.” 

His grin broadened. She was teasing him! Marinette was returning his banter, and in clear sentences! 

They talked for what had to have been a few hours, until Marinette could successfully speak in clear sentences and joke around with him. It wasn’t until she checked the time on her phone and frowned that Adrien realized how late he must be keeping her up. 

“We should probably get some sleep,” she said, then turned off the screen. “Will you be okay here?” 

He nodded. “If I’m being honest, I feel more comfortable sleeping on your chaise than in my own bed.” He laughted to lighten the comment, but she watched his hand rub the back of his neck. He hadn’t realized before, but she knew about his habit. She knew he was playing off his real feelings. 

Thankfully, she didn’t comment on it. She grabbed the comforter from around their shoulders, balled it up in her arms, and stretched her neck to peak over the top. “Goodnight, Adrien. You’re welcome to come over and stay any time.” 

He smiled. “If Father would let me, I would take you up on that offer in a heartbeat. Goodnight, Marinette.” 

To his surprise, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5046 words for the first chapter what the f—


	2. Exhaustion

“Yes, yes! Perfect!”

Adrien had never paid less attention to a photo shoot in his life. He’d probably get a mouthful from his father later, but his thoughts were too carried away with memories from the night before and that morning to focus on much of anything. He’d finally gotten to stay the night with his friends, and even spent hours having clear conversation with Marinette, and he couldn’t be more on cloud nine—unless, of course, his lady returned his affections. Alya and Nino had tried to make group plans for the four of them after they’d all woken up, but Adrien had a packed schedule and Marinette had a commission she needed to have finished by tomorrow. Adrien managed to get back to Nino’s with minutes to spare before Nathalie showed up with his driver, ready to take him to air in on his father’s early morning meeting. Fortunately for Adrien, his day was nearly over, and he’d be able to escape to the confines of his bedroom where he could freely text his friends. 

“This is the third time your mistakes have cost M. Agreste precious time and money!” Adrien’s head whipped over to the makeup room, pose forgotten, to find the source of the shouting. Three makeup artists stumbled through the door with tear filled eyes, a staff member and security guard trailing behind them. “You’re fired!” the staff member growled. “All of you!”

One of the women turned back with a sneer, the other two cowering behind her. “You’ll be hearing from our lawyers,” she snapped, before leading the others toward the exit.

Adrien would be lying if he said he was surprised to hear shrill screams less than a minute later. 

He let out a heavy sigh. Trust his luck to have someone akumatized right next to him the one time he had an indoor photoshoot. Getting through the only exit would be difficult, but not as difficult as explaining how Chat Noir suddenly appeared inside should he find a place to hide and transform. His best bet was hoping the akuma would clear the door and give him a chance to slip away without notice, then return as his alter ego.

The three women from before sauntered into the room, with extravagant red makeup and pink eyes that resembled a snake’s. They spoke their demands for Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculouses in unison, dragging out the their ‘S’s. “Where is Gabriel Agreste?” they hissed. “If he won’t appreciate our beauty, we’ll make him a work of art!” The three women looked around calculatingly before one of them spotted the camera man. “You! We’ve seen you speaking to to M. Agreste personally! Where is he?” 

Vincent’s eyes widened, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to back away. He glanced around frantically in vain for a place to hide. “I-I don’t know!” 

“Then you’re no good to us!” Closing the distance between them, one of the women touched a hand to Vincent’s chest, turning him to stone in a matter of seconds.

As quietly as possible, Adrien slipped into the shadows and out of sight from the three akuma victims. He felt bad for leaving Vincent behind, but he couldn’t risk being caught and leaving his Lady to fight off the akumas alone. Once again, he found himself grateful for her Miraculous Cure. 

He reached for the handle to the exit, but froze when the knob clicked. His heart sunk to his stomach when the three women whipped around to face him with matching sneers. “You!” They snarled. “You’re his son! Certainty, you can lead us to him!”

Adrien swung the door open and pushed his way through, feet pounding against the tiles as he fled. His panic increased when he couldn’t find any unlocked doors or exits. He’d only had a photoshoot in this building once before, so the entire location was unfamiliar to him. He really, really hoped Ladybug would show up soon. 

As if the world decided to answer his prayers, Adrien spotted a flash of red before the familiar string wound around his waist, yanking him away from danger. It stung without the protection of his suit, but a little rope-burn was admittedly better than being turned to stone by three vengeful women.

“Get behind me,” Ladybug demanded, eyes narrowed at the akuma victims as she retracted her yo-yo. 

“Yes, M—ma’am.” Adrien winced at the near slip. 

He tried to back away, to find somewhere away from his lady and the akuma, but he barely made it two steps before the love of his life whirled on him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

_ To transform and help you. _ He swallowed. Something in her narrowed eyes and stiff posture told him she hadn’t been having the greatest day today—in other words, her patience was wearing thin. “To safety?”

“The safest place you can be, right now, is with me.” Her gaze softened, misunderstanding the panic on his face for fear. “Don’t worry, Adrien. I’ll keep you safe.”

Despite his panic, his heart still soared at the way she said his name.

✦

In hindsight, he probably should’ve tried harder to slip away when he had the chance. 

Over the next three hours, Ladybug struggled alone, quietly wishing for Chat Noir to show up and refusing to let Adrien out of her sight, much to his immense frustration. He’d offered her as much advice as someone in his position could, but there was only so much he could do without transforming to help her. He could see the exhaustion written in the slump of her shoulders and the way she dragged her feet.

She finally called her Lucky Charm, spent about twenty minutes running across rooftops while trying to figure out what to do with it, before she smashed the akuma and purified the butterfly. 

The beeping of her miraculous made Ladybug wince. She wrapped her arm around Adrien’s waist and lowered them into an alley close to his photoshoot, then stepped away with a smile. “Stay safe, Adrien. Bug out!”

The guilt twisting Adrien’s stomach into knots tripled when she swayed on her feet before she could throw out her yo-yo. His hands shot out to grab her arms and steady her. “Ladybug? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” 

“Exhausted,” she breathed. She clenched her eyes shut and winced when her earrings beeped again. “I need to go.”

Despite feeling her move to step away, Adrien didn’t let go. His instinct to trust her warred with his concern for his partner, who looked like she was about two steps from collapsing. “Ladybug, you really don’t look so good.”

She took a deep breath and sent him a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring, but looked way too tired to be convincing. “‘m fine.” She took a step away and turned on her heel, only to sway on her feet before her knees buckled beneath her.

“Ladybug!” he hissed, darting forward to catch her. 

She looked up at him through hooded eyes, her hand latching onto his arm as she murmured, “I trust you,” and closed her eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im absolutely awful at writing akuma fights and I got lazy. Sorry! This chapter was pretty awful, so I’ll probably go back and edit it within the next few days/weeks.


	3. Realizations

“Oh, no,” Adrien muttered. “Oh, this is bad. This is really bad. Plagg!”

The cat kwami groaned as he phased out of Adrien’s shirt. “What is it, kid? I was in the middle of an amazing dream about Cam—oh.” He looked up at his chosen, his expression judgmental. “What did you do this time?”

“What makes you think I did something?” Adrien whined, then flinched when Ladybug’s earrings beeped again. They had two minutes before she transformed back. “Never mind. What do we do about her? I can’t just leave her in an alley!”

“How should I know?” Plagg argued. “Just take her back to your place and, I don’t know, close your eyes or something.”

“You’re no help,” Adrien muttered, “but fine. Claws out!”

It was pure luck that Chat made it to the mansion before Ladybug’s timer ran out. The moment his feet hit floor of his bedroom, pink light flooded the room and momentarily blinded him. He was too surprised by the warmth rushing over him with the transformation to even think of closing his eyes, instead thankful that her head was tucked into his neck and away from his sight. 

Unfortunately, one glance at her pale slippers and custom-made pink capris was enough to tell him exactly who he held in his arms. “M-Marinette?” he choked.

A small, high-pitched yawn drew his attention over to Lad— _Marinette’s_ kwami. She landed sleepily on his shoulder with a sigh. 

Chat dropped his transformation. “Is she okay?” Adrien asked, his arms tensing with the sudden change in weight as his enhanced strength left him.

“She’s just exhausted,” Tikki explained. “This usually happens when we’re transformed for too long and she hasn’t eaten breakfast. We’ll both be fine after we eat and rest.” She paused, then frowned as something occurred to her. “Her parents are expecting her to be home from school soon. She can’t go back like this, so we need an excuse.”

“I can ask Alya to cover for her.” At Plagg’s teasing grin, Adrien flushed. “I just mean, if I told Alya I invited Marinette over to help study for finals, I think she would cover with Marinette’s parents.” 

“Will her identity be safe here?” Tikki asked. 

Adrien looked down thoughtfully at the girl in his arms. The only person who came to Adrien’s room was Nathalie, and even she had a sort of routine. She’d wake him up, tell him his schedule for the day, and disappear until dinner time. So long as he kept Marinette hidden from view of his doorway, they should be fine. “Nobody comes in here without knocking, and even then, they still don’t fully enter the room.” 

Tikki’s smile turned reassuring. “That’s great, Adrien. Thank you.” 

Having decided what to do for now, Adrien carried his lady to the couch and gently laid her down, confident she would be hidden from view of the door. He watched Tikki and Plagg zip off to some unknown location before pulling out his phone to shoot a text to Alya with some excuse about helping Marinette on her physics homework and needing a cover story so she could stay later. Alya texted back asking for all the details when she leaves, and his cheeks flushed with the implications. 

The exhaustion of the day finally set in as he lifted his lady’s legs to sit down and place them gently on his lap. His back sunk into the couch, and with a heavy sigh, he let his eyes fall to the girl of his dreams.

So far, in the time between today’s akuma attack and his lady’s reveal, Adrien had learned three things: there were luckily only three akuma instead of several, Ladybug was Marinette, and knowing this didn’t make him love her any less. If anything, he found himself loving her even more, knowing how brave she was outside of her suit’s protection and having personal details about Marinette’s life that he was never able to apply to Ladybug. 

He reached out a hand to gently brush her bangs from her eyes. How hadn’t he realized sooner? There were only so many French-Chinese girls with sky blue eyes and pigtails in Paris, not to mention he knew Marinette and Ladybug personally. The only difference between them, really, was their level of confidence.

_ Should I tell her who I am? _

Tikki flitted down from her perch on Adrien’s loft, Plagg following with a triangle of Camembert. A few years ago, Adrien would’ve been disturbed by the sight of his kwami tossing the wedge into the air, only for it to drop straight through to his stomach in an instant, but he’d grown used to it by this point. “We’re ready to go,” Tikki squeaked. 

Adrien nodded, then rose reluctantly from his comfortable seat on the couch. He called on his transformation, slipped an arm beneath Marinette’s shoulders and knees, and carefully leap from the window once Tikki was safely hidden inside her purse. He wondered briefly if that’s where she’d always hidden, and immediately remembered all the times he’d watched Marinette slip a cookie in her purse but dismissed them without a second thought. How hadn’t he  _ noticed_? 

He made it to her balcony in no time, and it took even less for Tikki to open the trapdoor for him to drop onto the bed, careful of his boots.

Marinette squinted her eyes open as the door clicked shut behind him, her hand balling into a fist to rub sleepily at one eye. “Kitty?” she slurred. 

He couldn’t help the smile that threatened to split his face. _She’s so beautiful_. “Hey, Princess.”

She glanced around the room, then back at him with a small frown. “What are you doing here?”

“Your friend, Adrien, flagged me down. He said you passed out from low blood sugar and needed a lift home.” 

Her eyes closed with a dreamy smile, and a breathy whisper of, “ _Adrien_.” 

Chat’s face burned. He’d have to definitely come back to the subject of whatever  that was, but for now, he cleared his throat and struggled to keep his voice at a normal octave. “Will you be okay if I leave?” 

The half-snort, half-snore she let out in response had him biting his lip to hold back his laughter. He carefully slid the ties out of her hair, careful not to tug too hard, and pressed a kiss to her hairline before retreating to the balcony. 

Tikki followed with fond smile. “Thank you, Chat Noir.” 

“Will she remember what happened when she wakes up?”

“If she doesn’t, I’ll explain it to her. Be safe, Chat.” She surprised him with a soft muzzle to his cheek, then phased through the floor.

He took his time getting back to the mansion, taking the opportunity for some fresh air and letting the warm sun hit his skin. When he finally made it back it was all too soon, even more so for the narrow, judgmental eyes Plagg gave him as soon as he dropped his transformation. 

“Why didn’t you tell Pigtails the truth?”

Adrien busied himself with stripping off his shirts and carrying them to the laundry basket in his bathroom. “She doesn’t want us to know each other’s identities,” he said with a half-hearted shrug. He switched on the shower and twisted the knob until it wasn’t scalding. A long shower was as good as anything to help relieve the stress from the day, and give Adrien a bit to think and come to terms with all he’d learned. “As much as I want to tell her, I won’t do it without her permission.”

“You already know hers,” Plagg pointed out helpfully. 

“Adrien does,” he corrected, “but as far as she knows, Chat Noir doesn’t. I plan to keep it that way until she’s ready.” 

Plagg frowned and folded his arms across his chest. “Chat knowing her identity and not telling her is a bad idea, kid.”

“I know, but l’ll be careful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s short, I realized I hadn’t posted in a while and went ahead and found a good stopping point.


End file.
